Interior Health (IH) has appointed Dr. Robert Halpenny as chair of the IH board of directors, succeeding the late Dr. Doug Cochrane who died on Feb. 17, 2024.
Halpenny will serve as board chair until the end of 2026.
Health minister Adrian Dix said Dr. Halpenny brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge in his career, which includes an extensive history of working with B.C.’s health authorities.
“He was instrumental in delivering the tertiary cardiac program to Interior Health, as well as the provision of helicopter services to meet the needs of patients in the region. Dr. Halpenny brings strong leadership qualities to the Interior Health board.”
Since 2015, Halpenny has been the chair of the Medical Services Commission, which oversees adherence to the Canada Health Act and Medicare Protection Act. He also was government representative with the commission from 2005-16.
Halpenny worked as a family physician in Vancouver for eight years and his career as a health administrator spans more than 30 years, which included health-care societies in Vancouver, a hospital in Colorado, time at Fraser Health and the Provincial Health Services Authority, and eight years at Interior Health, where he served as senior medical director and for five years as president and CEO.
William Michael Gerrand and Bonnie Pearson have been appointed to the board for a one-year term, ending Feb. 28, 2025.
Gerrand is a principal with the accounting firm Grant Thornton LLP. Pearson is a labour leader with experience in the health-care sector.
“The addition of the new board members will bring a depth of knowledge and community experience, from both public and private sectors, and I look forward to our continued work together,” Dix said.
READ MORE: Interior Health remembers life of board chair
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